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July 12, 2017

Congratulations to NYAGV’s Youth Program Scholars!

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the 2017 ReAction Youth Program Scholarship Award! ReAction is the NYAGV Education Fund’s youth education program to prevent gun violence taught at New York City public high schools.

These students, all seniors attending college in fall 2017, were each awarded $750 scholarships for their outstanding leadership and participation as well as the lessons they took away from the program. All of the 2017 winners graduated from the Leadership and Public Service High School in lower Manhattan.

Luis G. Mendoza, who lives in the Bronx, will be attending New York City College of Technology, where he plans to study computer science. “The ReACTION Program was an eye opener. I was not aware of the serious problems with gun trafficking. I have personally been affected by gun violence. I’ve had a gun pointed at me twice in the past and have two close friends that were affected by gun violence. The ReACTION Program has taught me ways to avoid conflicts with police officers and things I can do to help my neighborhood.”

Sharon Perez, from Brooklyn, is going on to John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she’ll study criminology. “I want to make a difference in my neighborhood because where I live there’s a lot of young students and I want to make sure they feel that they have someone they can go to for help, guidance, and most importantly, safety.”

Yazmeen Vargas, from the Lower East Side, will be studying at SUNY Purchase, majoring in playwriting and screenwriting. “I knew the difference between the sound of fireworks and gun shots from the age of seven, and I’ve lost friends to gun violence. At our Albany field trip, I gave a speech about the painful parts of my life, and everyone listened to me, understood me, and connected with me. The legislators said I gave them more motivation to fight for bills to prevent other children from growing up with gun violence. Now I feel that I can have an impact in my community.”

Yesenia Tapia, who lives in Harlem, will be attending LaGuardia Community College, where she’ll study criminal justice. “Being a part of this program has made me realize how important it is for change to occur. This is especially clear after losing a close friend of mine. His life ended due to gun violence and it makes me think his life could’ve had a different path if more voices were out there to share their experiences and change people’s mindsets on how they view gun violence.”

About the ReAction Youth Program: ReAction is the NYAGV Education Fund’s youth program to prevent gun violence serving public high schools across New York City. ReAction educates and empowers young people who are disproportionately impacted by gun violence and guides them to be leaders and activists in their local communities and beyond. For additional information about the ReAction Youth Program, please click here.